A century of progress and problems for women

On the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, it is surprising to realise that there is still no significant memorial to Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-97), author of the groundbreaking A Vindication of the Rights of Woman and founder of the campaign for the freedom and equality of women.

Newington Green Action Group has decided to put right the omission. Wollstonecraft set up an innovative school for girls in what was then an isolated village inhabited by nonconformists, and it was in the years living there that her thoughts were radicalised. Newington Green is the natural home for a sculpture to honour this pioneer feminist, educator and political philosopher.

We urge you to support the Mary on the Green campaign for a long-overdue commemoration to Mary Wollstonecraft. Please visit www.maryonthegreen.org to support this project.

Baroness Massey of Darwen

Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall

Baroness Perry of Southwark

Baroness Richardson of Calow

Baroness Scott of Needham Market

Baroness Tonge

Baroness Northover

Baroness Warnock

Baroness Greenfield

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer

Baroness Fritchie

Baroness Golding

Lord Ahmed

Lord Carlile of Berriew

Lord Harries of Pentregarth

Lord Haworth

Lord Hoffman

Lord Rea

Lord Thomas of Gresford

Lord Selkirk of Douglas

Lord Lester of Herne Hill

Lord Brooke of Sutton Mandeville

Lord Richard

Lord Roberts of Conwy

Lord Soley

Rt Hon Charles Kennedy MP

Rt Hon Dr Denis MacShane MP

Rt Hon Frank Field MP

Rt Hon David Blunkett

Sir Peter Soulsby

Diane Abbott MP

Bob Russell MP

Chris Bryant MP

David Anderson MP

David Morris MP

Dennis Skinner MP

Eric Ollerenshaw MP

Ian Mearns MP

Jamie Reed MP

Jim Fitzpatrick MP

John McDonnell MP

Jon Cruddas MP

Kevin Brennan MP

Mark Garnier MP

Martin Caton MP

Mike Gapes MP

Peter Bottomley MP

Roger Williams MP.

Stephen Williams MP

Tobias Ellwood MP

Angela Smith MP

Ann Coffey MP

Chi Onwurah MP

Helen Goodman MP

Margaret Curran MP

Madeleine Moon MP

Pamela Nash MP

Hon Dr Tristram Hunt MP

Andy Slaughter MP

Chris Leslie MP

Julie Hilling MP

Katy Clark MP

Stewart Andrew MP

Dr Sarah Wollaston MP

Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods MP

Jenny Willott MP

Graham Stringer MP

Nic Dakin MP

Margot James MP

• With modern conflict now fought more in communities than on battlefields, it is often more dangerous to be a woman than a soldier. Yet, at the centenary of International Women's Day, women continue to be excluded from efforts to rebuild their societies. Involving women in decisions relating to peace and security significantly increases the chances of achieving a sustainable resolution.

In Liberia, for example, where women demanded their participation in formal peace negotiations, they elected Africa's first woman president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who has overseen not only peaceful development but also legislative reforms which are protecting women from the abuses, especially rape, which were endemic during the conflict.

It is vital that women's political, economic and social participation in countries now hanging in the balance – Afghanistan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia – is not seen as a concession that can be made without cost. The truth is that the exclusion of women from these peace processes undermines the very peace they seek. The No Women No Peace campaign reminds ministers that we will not achieve our peace and security goals without women.

Nicola Blackwood MP

Chair, Associate parliamentary group on women, peace and security

• George Monbiot's programme of ideas (Comment, 7 March), such as increased taxation of the rich, a levy on environmental damage, scrapping military hardware and a ceiling on high earnings, is welcome, but notably he does not mention the gendered impact of spending cuts to benefits, jobs and services which means that women disproportionately bear the brunt of these attacks.

Today Women Against the Cuts will demonstrate in Trafalgar Square, and we who join them give the lie to the claim that those protesting against the current onslaught of cuts and privatisation "don't know what we want". An end to the exploitation and oppression of women and the economic system that creams off the world's wealth for corrupt elites, and the development of a society based on co-operation not competition, which upholds healthcare, housing and education as our common rights, would do for starters. And we will continue to assert these basic principles on 26 March and every other opportunity we can.

Frankie Green

Whitstable, Kent

• We are gravely concerned that – as we celebrate International Women's Day – the government is proposing to remove women brought here by traffickers from its strategy to tackle violence against women. This is unacceptable, particularly as support services these women rely on face unprecedented funding cuts. Cuts to legal aid in immigration and family law, and to specialist services working with and on behalf of women in crisis situations, will undermine the message that we are a nation that promotes equality and respects the rights of women.

Donna Covey

Chief executive, Refugee Council

• The coalition government has made a series of public announcements stating its commitment to ending violence against women. However, it seems that behind closed doors, it sings a rather different tune. A European-wide convention on violence against women was at the point of agreement when our government made a volte-face. The UK has tabled amendments to the convention which, if accepted, will water down provisions on sexual harassment and safeguards for asylum-seeking women, and remove altogether the protection the convention would give women in times of conflict. The government must drop its wrecking amendments immediately.

• In spite of the progress women have made in the last century, 75 million girls, a cohort greater than the entire population of the UK, are out of school.

For more than a decade policymakers and charities have rightly focused their efforts on primary education. But now is the time for a new global deal that guarantees secondary education for all. Investing in girls' education is the right thing to do in today's fragile world economy. World Bank research shows that if 1% more girls have secondary education, annual per capita income growth is boosted by 0.3% on average. The international community needs to have the political will to fight the root causes that prevent girls from completing secondary level education.